4.0°C > 6.0°C: Early cloud clearing for while. Light south-westerly breeze. Very good visibility.
Sunrise: 07:38 GMT
* = a species photographed today
$ = my first sighting of the species for this year
$$ = my first ever recorded sighting of the species in the area
Priorslee Balancing Lake: 06:15 – 09:25
(280th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- the two Canada Geese that flew in yesterday remain.
- the returning Greylag Geese flock was seen after a few days absence. Just one of the mainly-white feral geese with them.
- for the first time as long as I can remember there were no Mute Swans present.
- a pair of Pochard seen again: did I overlook them yesterday?
- the Water Rail was heard calling from the north-east area again.
- a strong passage of Wood Pigeons, initially heading north-west; later mostly more westerly.
- where the Black-headed Gulls today? I noted my first at 07:35. My highest count was a mere thirteen.
- by contrast Lesser Black-backed Gulls started to arrive by 06:50. Early arrivals came from the South with later arrivals streaming in from the north-east. At least 300 were involved. I noted 64 arriving after 08:00.
- only three Song Thrushes were heard singing. The Blackbird was silent today.
- two Cetti's Warblers noted: the usual singing male and another calling bird.
- a Reed Bunting was heard calling in the south-west area. This species remains scarce.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- *138 Greylag Geese: 131 inbound together preceded by seven
- *1 mainly white feral goose with Greylags
- *c.1481 Wood Pigeons: of these c.1450 were noted in 17 migrant groups: see notes
- 1 Black-headed Gull
- 28 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- *7 Cormorants: single and sextet
- c.300 Jackdaws
- 59 Rooks
- 11 Starlings: together
- 2 Pied Wagtails
Birds seen leaving roosts around the lake
None
Counts from the lake area:
- 2 Canada Geese
- no Mute Swans
- 10 (6♂) Mallard
- 2 (1♂) Pochard
- 36 (21♂) Tufted Duck
- 1 Water Rail: heard only again
- 7 Moorhens
- 47 Coots
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 13? Black-headed Gulls only
- *18 Herring Gulls
- *c.365 Lesser Black-backed Gulls: see notes
- 5 Cormorants
- *2 Grey Heron: one chased away
Noted on the West end street lamp poles pre-dawn:
Moths:
- 1 male Winter Moth Operophtera brumata
- 1 male Winter Moth Operophtera brumata
Springtails:
- *1 small unidentified springtail
- *1 small unidentified springtail
Bugs:
- *1 $$ ground-bug Scolopostethus thomsoni or similar
- *1 $$ ground-bug Scolopostethus thomsoni or similar
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 2 harvestmen Paroligolophus agrestis
Later on the Teece Drive fence or elsewhere:
- 2 harvestmen Paroligolophus agrestis
Later on the Teece Drive fence or elsewhere:
Nothing noted
Not much to see of the Beaver Moon.
Colouring well.
At its best according to my smart phone.
And again this what my "big camera" made of the sunrise.
The next bank of clouds gathering to the West. Not many leaves left on the trees after the storm.
The gull union: "one out all out".
A very (very) small part of one of the migrant Wood Pigeon parties.
Not what fishermen like to see. Six Cormorants here.
Celebrating its success in chasing the other Grey Heron away this one gives me a fly-past.
A flying barn door!
Look no wings! Full marks and a gold star if you can identify this.
Give up? It is a Cetti's Warbler!
A two-fer: the larger insect is a ground-bug Scolopostethus thomsoni or similar. Obsidentify was sure though NatureSpot would want me to have examined the underside to exclude other similar species. Noted as active all year. Whatever: it is a new species for me. The other insect is a springtail, much smaller than others of this overall shape that I have seen.
(Ed Wilson)
In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:
(Ed Wilson)
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In the Priorslee Avenue tunnel pre-dawn:
Cold again
Flies:
- 8 midges
- 8 midges
Spiders, harvestmen etc.:
- 1 spider only: usual suspect
(Ed Wilson)
The Flash: 09:30 – 10:40
- 1 spider only: usual suspect
(Ed Wilson)
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The Flash: 09:30 – 10:40
(274th visit of the year)
Bird notes:
- still four Mute Swans. The pair from the Balancing Lake staying together. The resident duo spending most of the time well apart.
- two drake (Common) Teal were alongside the island today.
- two drake Pochard were new arrivals.
- a few Goosanders hanging on.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 11 Wood Pigeons in a migrant group flying high north-west
- 1 Jackdaw
Noted on / around the water:
- 17 Canada Geese: more inside the island?
- 40 Greylag Geese: more inside the island?
- 4 Mute Swans
- 22 (14♂) Mallard
- *2 (2♂) (Common) Teal again
- 2 (2♂) Pochard
- 13 (7♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 (0♂) Goosander
- *9 Moorhens
- 75 Coots
- *6 Great Crested Grebes still
- *17 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gull: immatures
- 9 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Little Egret
Noted around the area:
Bird notes:
- still four Mute Swans. The pair from the Balancing Lake staying together. The resident duo spending most of the time well apart.
- two drake (Common) Teal were alongside the island today.
- two drake Pochard were new arrivals.
- a few Goosanders hanging on.
Bird(s) noted flying over here:
- 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 11 Wood Pigeons in a migrant group flying high north-west
- 1 Jackdaw
Noted on / around the water:
- 17 Canada Geese: more inside the island?
- 40 Greylag Geese: more inside the island?
- 4 Mute Swans
- 22 (14♂) Mallard
- *2 (2♂) (Common) Teal again
- 2 (2♂) Pochard
- 13 (7♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 (0♂) Goosander
- *9 Moorhens
- 75 Coots
- *6 Great Crested Grebes still
- *17 Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Herring Gull: immatures
- 9 Cormorants
- 1 Grey Heron
- 1 Little Egret
Noted around the area:
Moths:
- *2 male Mottled Umbers Erranis defoliaria: one of these in the same place for its third day
- *2 male Mottled Umbers Erranis defoliaria: one of these in the same place for its third day
Bees, wasps etc.:
- *>5 Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris
The two drake (Common) Teal were by the island (with two Black-headed Gulls looking on). It occurs to me that in winters of yore (25 years ago perhaps) the island use to host a day-roost of Common Snipe. That would be good to see again.
The second of two male Mottled Umber moths Erranis defoliaria. This one is, unusually, both "mottled" and "umber".
It was both cloudy and cold – well below the 10.0°C that is usually needed for insect to be active. Nevertheless there were at least five Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris on the Ivy. This angle shows both the face-pattern and parallel-side yellow flash on the side of the thorax to confirm the species identity.
- *>5 Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris
"Water off a duck's back" - or in this instance a Moorhen's back. Those feathers sure are waterproof.
A Great Crested Grebe still showing head-streaking indicating this is a first-winter bird.
A portrait of a first-winter Black-headed Gull.
This illustrates how flexible the "wasp-waist" is.
(Ed Wilson)
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2013
Priorslee Lake
1 Wigeon
5 Gadwall
2 Teal
1 Pochard
102 Tufted Duck
1 Water Rail
229 Coots
1 Snipe
>500 Starlings
127 Fieldfare
7 Redwings
99 Jackdaws
1 Brambling
1 Yellowhammer
(Ed Wilson)
2012
Newport
1 Waxwing
(Ed Wilson)
2011
Priorslee Lake
1 Adult Yellow legged Gull
(John Isherwood)
Priorslee Flash
1 adult Yellow legged Gull
2 female Goosander
(John Isherwood)
2006
Priorslee Lake
1 Little Grebe
36 Pochard
49 Tufted Duck
1 Ruddy Duck
11 Lapwings
1 Woodcock
c.1700 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
>600 Black-headed Gulls
5 Herring Gull
1 Yellow-legged Gull
2 Great Black-backed Gulls
910 Wood Pigeons
22 Robins
21 Blackbirds
258 Fieldfares
13 Redwings
201 Jackdaws
158 Rooks
348 Starlings
4 Reed Buntings
(Martin Adlam / Ed Wilson)
2005
Priorslee Lake
c.1000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
c.1500 Black-headed Gulls
10 Herring Gull
2 Yellow-legged Gulls
1 Wigeon
(Martin Adlam)